ArcGIS Pro

General options

In this topic

General options include default settings for where projects and data are stored, whether to use online or offline help, and which display theme to use.

To set General options, do the following:

From an open project, click the Project tab on the ribbon. Or, from the ArcGIS Pro start page, click About ArcGIS Pro in the lower left corner.

In the list on the left, click Options.

On the Options dialog box, under Application, click General.

Choose how new
projects are created

This set of options includes settings for new projects and project items such as geodatabases and toolboxes.

Always create a new folder for a project

When this box is checked, the default setting for new projects is to store the project file, project geodatabase, and project toolbox (.aprx, .gdb, and .tbx files) in the home folder in a subfolder named for the project. For example, in a new project named MyProject, these files would be stored in the user profile directory at My Documents\ArcGIS\Projects\MyProject.

When this box is unchecked, the default setting is to store these files in the home folder without organizing them in a subfolder.

You can override the Always create a new folder for a project setting by selecting or clearing the Create a new folder for this project box when you create a new project.

The Always create a new folder for a project setting determines whether the Create a new folder for this project check box is checked by default.

Default geodatabase

The default geodatabase is the one to which geoprocessing output data is written, unless otherwise specified.

Create a new default file geodatabase for each project

Use this option to organize geoprocessing data on a project-by-project basis. This is the default setting.

Use the same geodatabase as the default for all projects

Use this option to organize geoprocessing data in one geodatabase that is accessed by many projects.

Default toolbox

The default toolbox is the one in which new geoprocessing models are created.

Create a new default toolbox for each project

Use this option to organize geoprocessing models and other custom tools on a project-by-project basis. This is the default setting.

Use the same toolbox as the default for all projects

Use this option to organize geoprocessing models and other custom tools in one toolbox that is accessed by many projects.

Default folder

The default folder is the one in which new projects and project subfolders are saved. When you start a new project, the path to this folder is shown on the Create a New Project dialog box.

Create new projects in the default location

The default location is My Documents\ArcGIS\Projects in the user profile directory.

Create new projects in another local or network folder

Specify a folder of your choice.

Help system

ArcGIS Pro has an online help system and an offline
help system. For the most part, the two systems have the same content; however, the
online help may be more current. For more information about the
two help systems, see About ArcGIS Pro Help.

Online help from the Internet

The ArcGIS Pro help system opens in your default web browser. This is the default setting.

Offline help from your computer (requires local help installation)

The ArcGIS Pro help system opens in an application on your computer. This option is available only after the offline help system has been installed. You can download the ArcGIS Pro help system setup file from the same location as the ArcGIS Pro application (for example, My Esri).

Tip:

If you work in the field or in a disconnected environment, be sure to download and install the offline help system.

Personalize

ArcGIS Pro has two color themes: a light
theme and a dark theme. If you switch themes, you must restart ArcGIS Pro for the change to take effect.

Light

The application background color is light gray. This is the default setting.